Saber vs. Conocer
Saber vs. Conocer
English uses one verb, 'to know', for facts, skills, and people alike. Spanish splits that single idea into two completely separate verbs, and mixing them up is one of the most common learner mistakes.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
Saber: facts, information, skills
sé la respuesta (I know the answer), sé nadar (I know how to swim)
I know the answer, I know how to swim — 'know' covers both
Saber is for knowledge you can state or a skill you can perform — facts, information, and 'knowing how to' plus an infinitive. If you can rephrase the English sentence as 'I know that...' or 'I know how to...', saber is the verb you want.
Conocer: people, places, familiarity
conozco a Juan (I know Juan), conozco Madrid (I know/I'm familiar with Madrid)
I know Juan, I know Madrid — again, the same single verb 'know'
Conocer is for being acquainted or familiar with a person, place, or thing — not information you could recite, but something you've personally encountered. Using saber here (saber a Juan) is simply wrong, not just awkward — the two verbs aren't interchangeable, even though English's 'know' makes no distinction at all.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
- English
- I know (a fact)
- English
- you know (a fact)
- English
- I know how to swim
- English
- I know (a person/place)
- English
- you know (a person/place)
- English
- I know Juan
- English
- do you know where it is?
- English
- do you know this place?
- English
- I don't know
- English
- I don't know him